Showing posts with label skinny books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skinny books. Show all posts

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Score! Birthday! Ebay! Etsy! Junking! Swaps!












September went out like a lamb, which was merciful, considering a certain number birthday--or perhaps other of life's diversions--has caused my blood pressure to rise into the danger zone. A little week-long break from blogging, Flickr, Hotmail, Etsy, Ebay, swaps, groups, and virtually everything else didn't necessarily help the BP but it did show me I really missed blogging.

I like my virtual record of art I've made, received, stuff I've done, read, etc., and although I don't post to my Blythe blog or my writing blog as often as this one, I do like to upload my photos to Flickr as soon as I take them, and organize them accordingly.

The books above, an old Alice in Wonderland, barely hanging together, and a fashion compendium with 1,000 pictures, were both found in antiques shops in North Webster, IN for $3.00 each. They're going to come in handy for altered art.

And thanks to some help from Maggie on Etsy, my Avon Small World re-collection of the eight 1970s figures is essentially complete, sans a few boxes.

The blue charm bracelet is the finished version of the charm bracelet I blogged about starting here. It traveled around the world, literally, to California, Pennsylvania, Norway and more, before making its way back to me in the Marie Antoinette Mail Art round robin charm bracelet swap.

And last but not least, the crazy assortment of goodies photo includes an Alice doll, some doll heads, a pink beaded jewelry box from Pier 1, some old Bailey's Irish Cream cups, a pretty pink rose necklace, a little lavender crescent-shaped dish, a reproduction apothecary bottle, an old tin robot and the finished version of my Zettiology skinny book, from a swap on Flickr, blogged about here. These treasures arrived via various means and reasons but all helped to make my birthday week and month special. More on the finished Zetti book soon. It's an explosion of art and color.

Meanwhile, many of the vintage books and treasures, bottles and doll heads came from one of the most wonderful places on earth: Green Oak Antiques in Rochester, IN. These three buildings are 10,000 ft2 (that's right, ten thousand) of furniture, junk, garden wire, salvage, cottage, victorian, primitive, jewelry and more.

Owner Ann Burton Wootten Furnivall and I had some great chats in person and via email about altered art, steampunk jewelry, favorite sites and more. She has some great sites: her blog Magpie Cottage, Gypsy Market on Etsy and the shop site, Green Oak Antiques.

I highly recommend a drive to Rochester from wherever you are. Out-of-state visitors are very common. You'll need several hours and probably a truck. They are open 10-5 every day but Thursday.

Monday, September 7, 2009

How to Explain Zettiology. Don't.












I am so tempted to let these pictures speak for themselves, and for the most part, I will. Suffice to say these are one-of-a-kind (OOAK), handmade pages for a skinny book (that needs explaining, too) in the Flickr group Zettiology, hosted by Jade Adams. Seventeen artists will submit 17 pages, and Ms. Jade will bind them into OOAK books for everyone.

Zetti style is probably best explained, if not defined, by looking at the work of Teesha Moore. Even her rubber stamp line is called Zettiology. I've blogged about Teesha and her work several times. This piece of art by moi earned me a comment from Ms. Moore. Check out her entire site and blog; her husband and daughters create amazing art as well.

The one-eyed, girly, swirly heads I used on some of my pages are from a collage sheet by Traci Bautista, which I bought from her in-person at Art and Soul in 2008. I've saved it all this time for something special. The strange and colorful heads are just perfect for my interpretation of Alice in Zetti-land.

More Alice-themed art ensues. I hope to post soon a couple of mixed media pieces I made this weekend with doll heads for Somerset Studios' fall art call regarding Alice in Wonderland. So far, I can tell you I employed a door knob, a jello mold, bird cage, watch face, resin, and I tore apart a $5 IKEA clock for additional inspiration and supplies.



Friday, February 1, 2008

Here's The Skinny on My Fat Skinny Book in The Altered Abbey's Skinny Book Swap






I have been waiting somewhat patiently for the return of my first-ever book swap, having joined back in about September The Altered Abbey's Skinny Book Swap. I first read about fellow ZNE member Chrysti Hydeck's background techniques in Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine and noted she was hosting a swap. Although her three all originals books were already full, I signed up for the fourth book, copies or originals, in 4 x 8 inch format.
With the deadline of Oct. 31 looming right after vacation, I finished up my mostly all original pages in early Oct., and shipped them off to North Carolina. I didn't dream, and neither did Chrysti, that I wouldn't see my finished book until Jan. 30. It was well worth the wait! Not one page was disappointing in the least.
However, I cannot imagine Chrysti's frustration at coordinating over 100 incoming pages from all over the world, as well as a hoped-for 50 extra pages for charity auction books. Many of the original participants did not come through, and so many substitutions were needed at the last minute. On top of this, Chrysti created original covers and bound all the books. I wonder if she bound her own set into one big book of 100 pages?
This book is something I will always treasure and for now cannot stop looking at it! It has also inspired me to take on the Art & Soul "By the Sea" all originals chubby book (4 x 4) swap as well as the ARTchix By The Sea chubby book (up to 100 color copies), both due right around April 1, along with my 25 charms for the Art & Soul charm swap. Looks like my March is planned for me!

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Yay! Skinny Book Pages Done!! 100th Post- Leave a Comment for a Chance for Altered Art Goodies and Ephemera; Surprises Too!





























What better way to celebrate a 100th post than to be all done with a major project. After more than two weeks and at least 48 hours of work, I just finished 54 4 x 8 pages (27 when assembled) for ZNE sponsor The Altered Abbey's Skinny Book Swap by owner and fellow ZNE member Chrysti Hydeck here: http://www.alteredabbey.com/shop/ and here http://chysti.wordpress.com/ and here http://www.alteredabbey.com/_vti_bin/shtml.exe/skinnybook.htm. She's a busy thing, that Chrysti.


I was first inspired by her work in issue No. 13 of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine. I barely made the cut-off to sign up for the books. She was hosting four books of 25 pp. each and I was No. 23 of the last book. Yikes! The book I will be in does not have to be all originals, but I did 18 originals and 9 highly-embellished high-quality photo copies. I can't even tell which is which, so I hope all recipients will be pleased.


Crazy Chrysti then decided to host two more books, this time for charity auctions, hence the 27 total pages I am sending (and one for her). Imagine, she will have her own book of more than 100 different pages! How beautiful that will be! It will be hard to wait for the finished project. I will get one of my own pages back. I did not photograph all 27, so some I will never see again.


I started with heavy weight paper for acrylic paint, cut it to size and then painted every page with a variety of solid, gel and fluid acrylics. I tried some of Chrysti's techniques from the CPS article, such as brayering pages together, painting over lace, etc. I then attached pages in sets of fronts and backs and began to embellish with paper ephemera. I did gel medium transfers, collage, added transparencies, rubber stamping, metal charms, eyelets, fibers, beads, word pebbles, gold leaf and silver leaf and then I sealed each page.


Speaking of 100th Post, I can't believe it has only been two and a half months since I started my blog. It is one of the best things I have ever done. It has forced me to learn my equipment: computer, scanner, camera, printer. It has forced me to learn web-based technology, and it has given me a chance, albeit brief, to get back to my writing. Plus it lets me share my art with the masses (even if the masses are few).


So, in honor of my 100th post, I have 3 or more large batches of goodies like those pictured from my recent haul: old bottles, old jewelry, old Bingo parts, collage papers, scrap papers, vintage cards, stickers, and I will be drawing names Monday night from among those who leave me a comment here in my 100th post. So say hello, and watch for an annoucement in two days. That should give people time to visit. I will get the goodies/freebies right out next week.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Art and Music: One and the Same





Do not adjust your volume, people. There is nothing wrong with your computer.

I am in love with Project Playlist! Fellow ZNEr Heidi Eberle, who added the music to my art and our group poem on the home page this week, shared her secret for adding playlists to blogs. And here http://www.projectplaylist.com/ it is.

It was so simple. The hardest part was trying to remember all of my favorite songs. I think I have chosen a verrrrrrrry eclectic list. I mean, how many people would put Bach, Handel, Usher, Rascal Flatts and Sade together? I am cracking myself up- I think I am in love with my own blog- how narcissistic is that? But, hey, it's great background music for working. And I thrill myself whenever I can figure out something "techy."

Back to painting...18 of 27 double-sided pages now painted for Altered Abbey's (Chrysti Hydeck) http://www.alteredabbey.com/shop/ Skinny Book Swap. She's at Art and Soul Portland http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/ and I'm just here in my basement covered in paint and generally making a mess. Thought I'd stop for this 97th post!


Sunday, September 30, 2007

Feelin' Productive Now!






Besides the post below with ATCs for the ARTchix pink post contest, fat book pages, skinny book pages and more, I got these four ATCs with embellished sugar skulls done for ebay. Not only did I get them listed, I managed to squeeze in some tags to satisfy some ebay group contests, such as "numbers" for CaaT and "Halloween" for AWLA. I was feeling very productive until I noticed it was 2 a.m. Oh, well! This is my 85th post, so getting ever closer to the 100th post party. But I digress. Back to Sugar Skulls.....just love them, think they are fun and whimsical, and they have a nice history. Just got a decoupaged cigarillo tin with a sugar skull on the front. I have my business cards in it. Also, I have a "blank" metal lunch box, and I am thinking of decoupaging sugar skulls on it. Why? I do not know.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Finally! Time to Get My Hands Dirty Again!






Yippee! Finally some time to spend on art after a one-week hiatus. Where to start? It actually took me awhile to get going. Everything I started on looked bad. I just didn't feel like anything was working. So, I took a break and hooked up my new color copier, scanner, printer which had been sitting in the box for two weeks. It was super easy to set up, but my laptop died, then my second battery died, then I discovered my power cord went missing from my suitcase, having been right on top when I left Florida. So I hooked it to our other computer, and being wireless, it will be easy to hook to my laptop when I getting it going again.
With that accomplishment out of the way, I went on to finish my page for the All Originals Fat Book monthly theme swap. As the theme is pink and breast cancer awareness, you can see my contribution. Be sure to visit www.savethetatas.com. I also photographed two of my entries for the ARTchix Pink Post contest. Can't wait to hear the results of the Pet Post contest!
Still on a mini-roll, I assembled nine of my background pages for the Altered Abbey Skinny Book swap. I have 27 finished (obvy) double-sided pages due in less than 3 weeks. So, a lot of pages left to make, and finishing these pages is yet to come. Don't have any idea yet what I am going to do. A lot of the coolest pages I've seen have birds on them, but I'd like to think of something myself. Maybe I'll think of birds!
Finally, these rubber stamps were on my work table, just asking to be photographed. My Stampin' Up monthly club order came, as well as a cute crow in a dress from Invoke Arts. So much to do!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Hello From Sunny Florida

No pictures to post; no camera here; but I feel incomplete if I don't blog regularly! I am in sunny Florida, from sunny Indiana, for a week of work. My base is Orlando. Today I saw a power station and one of the towers of wires and such, out of many, was shaped like a mouse head with the famous ears. I wonder how Disney arranged that? Today was spent seeing clients in Tampa. Did not spot a single art-related store, although an ARTchix pal told me a couple exist. We were going to meet up, but she teaches school, and I was in and out of Tampa during the day. Being in ZNE and ARTchix and other groups makes it kind of fun to know there are kindred souls all around. In fact, I recently mailed an art card to an Artchix chick in England who is sending me one in return. I was a little skeptical when the post office charged me only 90 cents, but Charline in Lincolnshire tells me it arrived, finally. Can't wait to get home to work on my 27 skinny book swap pages (front and back!) and I have one 4 x4 page due in Oct. for breast cancer awareness. I want to get all this done before vacation beckons!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The Bestest Things in Small Packages




Now, why anyone would think G stands for grump, I do not know. But, irregardless, I purchased this highly embellished artist trading card on ebay from Kim Laws of ajoy*2*bheld. The same day it arrived, this adorable charm from Michelle Geller of Hold Dear http://michellegeller.typepad.com/ also arrived from a trade we did. After some blog correspondence about fat books and skinny books (and books that climb on rocks), she mentioned some charms she was making for an art gathering and was gracious enough to offer one to me in trade for one of my domino pendants. Art people are just the greatest.
So not to belittle either artist, I decided these two just looked perfect together. Since the ATC wouldn't fit in a normal collector's pocket anyway, I decided to combine them for my bulletin board so I could enjoy seeing them every day. Thanks, ladies!
It's been another few days without making anything, and I am going crazy.....arrrrgh! (It IS National Talk Like a Pirate Day, according to Flickr, so there's my contribution). At least I can blog, and that gets us all that much closer to my 100th post- which means (insert drumroll) freebies, give-aways, goodies to commenters, as is a long-standing 100th post tradition. So, stay tuned!